LOS ANGELES (Reuters)
— Rain lashes down from the
heavens while hungry followers of Cain trample over each other for a
spot on Noah's massive wooden ark. The end is inevitable and, of
course, not pretty.

Director Darren Aronofsky, best known for dark and
unrelenting dramas such as the Oscar-nominated "Black Swan,"
would have it no other way in the biblical epic "Noah," which
stars Russell Crowe and is set to be released in U.S. and
Canadian theaters, as well as several other countries, on
Friday.

"There's something elemental about the water," Aronofsky said.
"Water has an incredible power to destroy and it also gives
rebirth. It's an amazing force. So, I've just always wondered
why no one ever brought it to the big screen."

The film distributed by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures is the
auteur director's first big test of whether he can guide a
big-budget spectacle to box office success.

And the risk-taking Aronofsky, 45, is sure to unsettle some
along the way as the film blends one of the best-known Old
Testament tales with the trademark psychological torment to
which he routinely submits protagonists.

"We all have the Noah story inside of us since we were very
young," the director said, making the case for why his
challenging film can have wide appeal. "It's so deep, a part of
not just Western culture, but everyone on the planet has heard
of the Noah story. Even if it's not part of your belief system,
you have a flood story."

The film also stars Jennifer Connelly as Noah's wife, Naameh,
Anthony Hopkins as Noah's grandfather, Methuselah, and Emma
Watson as Ila, the wife of Noah's eldest son, Shem, who is
portrayed by Douglas Booth.

While faithful to the slim four chapters in the Bible, "Noah"
also takes a detour into fantasy with the biblical Nephilim.
Aronofsky explains the giant fallen angels made of rocks as a
representation of a pre-flood Earth that was home to alternate
possibilities of life.

'WRESTLING WITH DARKNESS'

The decision to include the fallen angels, called the "Watchers"
in the film, is one of the reasons why "Noah" will be
challenging, even for religious audiences, said Rebecca Cusey,
an editor of the religious website Patheos.com and film critic.

"This movie takes it more seriously than a lot of people who
teach it in Sunday school. We have to admit that this story is
really dark, and (it is) wrestling with the darkness and having
different strains of theology."

Paramount said "Noah" had a $125 million budget. The film is
tracking to gross a respectable $41 million in its opening weekend
domestically, according to Boxoffice.com.

The film also represents a string of bets Hollywood has made on
Bible stories.

Studio 20th Century Fox is set to release director Ridley Scott's
epic "Exodus" in time for Christmas, with Christian Bale as Moses.
The studio also released "Son of God" last month, an adaptation of
2013's successful "The Bible" TV miniseries.

For Anthony Hopkins, the revival of Biblical epics on the big screen
speaks to the global economic and political upheaval since 2008
financial crisis.

"Maybe it's a resurgence of a desire for certainty in an uncertain
world," the Oscar-winning actor wondered, adding that biblical epics
tend to give audiences hope in chaotic times.

But Bible stories also dovetail with the action films that make
significant money for Hollywood studios, said Craig Detweiler, a
professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

After all, "Noah" serves up plenty of action, special effects, blood
and violence.

"Perhaps Hollywood is reaching back to Old Testament stories because
of the brawny nature of the conflicts," said Detweiler, who has
worked for studios as a consultant on religious topics.

"It is the ultimate way to get teenage boys who otherwise would have
no interest in this subject into one of our culture's largest
shaping stories," he added. "It's like a graphic novelization of one
of the most seminal texts in civilization."